Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Cairngorms National Park and Monadhliath. Also includes the Ben Alder area hills between Loch Ericht and Loch Laggan.
Friday's Forecast
Gale force, walking arduous
Considerable buffeting, walking into the wind will be strenuous on exposed terrain, stronger gusts may knock you off your feet. 40 to 55mph.
Snow and hail showers
Periods of bright or sunny conditions mixed with showers or flurries of snow and hail. Visibility may change rapidly from excellent to very poor.
Chilly
Air temperature typically 0 to 5C on higher summits. Feeling distinctly chilly on tops when stationary or where exposed to wind. Take appropriate layers.
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Gale force, walking arduous
Considerable buffeting, walking into the wind will be strenuous on exposed terrain, stronger gusts may knock you off your feet. 40 to 55mph.
Snow and hail showers
Periods of bright or sunny conditions mixed with showers or flurries of snow and hail. Visibility may change rapidly from excellent to very poor.
Chilly
Air temperature typically 0 to 5C on higher summits. Feeling distinctly chilly on tops when stationary or where exposed to wind. Take appropriate layers.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Friday 9th October 2026
Last updated
Thu 8th Oct 26 at
4:00PM
Summary for all mountain areas
Gale-force winds across all mountains will make walking challenging and lower temperatures also adds to a significant chill factor. A front clears south over England & Wales with a spell of early rain. Then broadly showery, frequent in west, falling as snow on Scottish Munros, also hail.
Headline for Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Gales on tops, showers with hail, and snow on tops.
How windy? (On the Munros)
Westerly sustained 35-45mph. Quite gusty, top speeds approaching 50mph.
Effect of the wind on you?
Arduous walking in exposure, powerful gusts challenging balance, bracing necessary at times. Significant wind chill.
How Wet?
Showers
Showers come and go from the west all day, perhaps more frequent with heavier falls in the afternoon, particularly west. Some hail mixed in, with snow on the high Cairngorms above 1000m.
Cloud on the hills?
Highly variable, clear windows
During showers, shafts of cloud cover terrain above 900m, but the hills largely clear between showers at least to start the day. Afternoon brings increased risk of longer cloudy periods, some bases lowering below 900m in the west.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
60% lowering to 30%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Patchwork of cloud and sun. Very good visibility, but suddenly poor in showers, very poor in snow on high tops.
How Cold? (at 900m)
3 or 4C, perhaps several degrees warmer just around dawn. Feeling like -5 to -10C in direct wind.
Freezing Level
Soon lowering to at or just above the highest Cairngorm summits.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Saturday 10th October 2026
Last updated
Thu 8th Oct 26 at
4:00PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Northwesterly 35 to 50mph, very gusty.
Effect of the wind on you?
Arduous walking, maintaining stability requiring constant effort. Significant wind chill.
How Wet?
Frequent showers, snow on high terrain
A sustained stream of showers from the west much of the day, rather frequent near and west of the A9. May be more scattered eastward at times, but also likely setting in for several hours widely. Falling as snow on high Cairngorms above 900-1000m.
Cloud on the hills?
Fairly extensive high terrain, often lowering
Cloud may occasionally break above 1000m east of Ben Macdui, but high tops likely stay in cloud, base often lowering towards 800m, locally 600m Monadhliath. When rain sets in, filling in extensively to middle slopes.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
30%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Best of patchy sun east, sometimes more widely cloudy. Visibility varied, often poor but sometimes good east during dry windows.
How Cold? (at 900m)
3 or 4C, will vary somewhat in rain. Feeling near -10C in direct wind.
Freezing Level
Around 1200m.
Viewing Forecast For
Cairngorms NP and Monadhliath
Sunday 11th October 2026
Last updated
Thu 8th Oct 26 at
4:00PM
How windy? (On the Munros)
Northwesterly 30mph from dawn and possibly much of morning, easing gradually to 15mph afternoon.
Effect of the wind on you?
In morning, considerable wind chill and blustery wind on tops may affect comfortable walking; becoming small.
How Wet?
Rare early showers
Isolated brief showers in morning, mostly northern areas, of snow above 900m.
Cloud on the hills?
Clearing most tops
Patchy cloud around higher slopes mostly above 900m by mid morning, lifting and dispersing more with time to leave most mountains free of cloud in afternoon.
Chance of cloud free Munros?
80%
Sunshine and air clarity?
Mostly sunny start, a little patchy cloud forming. Visibility excellent.
How Cold? (at 900m)
2 or 3C much of day, then lifting slightly higher onward into evening-night. Feeling like -7 to -10C in wind high tops.
Freezing Level
Slight frost in glens at dawn. Around 1100-1200m in morning, rising higher, above all tops mid-afternoon onward.
Planning Outlook
The weekend begins windy with gales over all mountains, severe on some high tops; showers or more constant rain west, brighter breaks east. Sunday sees a more settled day as a small ridge of high pressure builds from the west; wind eases, sun and cloud clearing most tops, cool temperatures. Next week sees continued mixed weather: bands of rain coming and going, temperatures similarly fluctuating: generally mild, briefly chilly in Scotland with freezing levels temporarily onto high Munros where rain turns to snow; any accumulating snow soon thaws. West-southwesterly winds will be dominant, often quite strong, gales at times, but this allows for drier, brighter windows on eastern hill groups between weather systems.